Flex plate attachment for use with belt sanders

ABSTRACT

A flex plate attachment is used on a variety of different belt sanders for abrading on or into contoured areas. The flex plate attachment will include a light duty scale for use on light duty belt sanders, and a heavy duty scale for use on commercial and industrial belt sanders. The flex plate works in conjunction with the function of the existing belt tensioning device within the belt sander and being attached onto the required mounts which allows the flex plate to function accordingly within the existing work area of the belt sander.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to being an attachment for powerbelt sanders. More specifically, the present invention relates to aflexible attachment that will attach within the work area of a beltsander enabling a capability of abrading onto contoured surfaces.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

[0002] Belt sanders have been used for abrading or sanding manydifferent types of surfaces. Most belt sanders are designed for sandingflat or straight surfaces and can do so with little difficulty. What isdifficult with these belt sanders is sanding or abrading non-flatsurfaces. Even the capability of hand held belt sanders have difficultyand limitations in sanding these non-flat surfaces.

[0003] Other belt sanders are designed to sand or abrade a set orspecific non-flat surface. This makes these belt sanders more costly andless affordable as well as being limited to the specific surface whichthey were designed for.

[0004] Some of todays contour abrading is still being cone by means oftime consuming ABC tiresome efforts of physically sanding by hand. Thisis still being done for several reasons which include, the cost is toogreat for some people to go out and buy a power sander with contouringcapability. Most contour sanders are limited to abrading only certaincontours and are not designed to abrade a variety of contours and stillabrade flat surfaces also.

[0005] Some of todays hand belt sanders incorporate a wear pad that mayconsist of being a bendable thin sheet of steel attached on one end tothe main body and located over the work area of the belt sander. Thesanding loop or belt is then placed onto the belt sander accordingly,leaving the wear pad between the two work areas.

[0006] Though the wear pad may be made of a thin and bendable material,similar to the present invention, the wear pad. is limited to a flatsurface and does not offer any kind of function which can allowconforming to curved surfaces.

[0007] Most of todays bench top or pedestal type belt sanders willincorporate a work plate. This type of belt sander consists of havingthree rollers in which to allow, and control, the abrading loop or beltto travel on. One of these three rollers will be driven and the othertwo rollers remain idle or free spinning. Normally the weak area ofthese belt sanders is in between the two idle rollers. The work plate issecured and located within this work area. The abrading loop or beltwill travel in front of the work plate. The work plate is used as asupport on the back side of the abrading belt while abrading theworkpiece on the front side of the abrading belt. The work plate isrigid and does not take any form other than that of being rigid.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,992; 2000, discloses a sander with thecapability of sanding a bullnose concave surface by using sheets ofabrasive materials, clamped in accordance with a flexible pad. Thoughcapable of abrading a concave workpiece, it is limited to only thatconcave surface.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,423; 1998, discloses a back-up pad providedfor supporting an abrasive article curing abrading. Though capable ofabrading some contours, this method is limited to abrading only slightcontours.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,519; 1997, Discloses a contour sanderdesigned for sanding the details and curves of automobile body panels.Though conformable to the curves of automobile body panels, the sanderis limited to manual use and not for use on a power sander,

[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,187; 1997, discloses a flexible device forholding abrasive materials, which can be adjusted to a variety ofshapes. Though capable of conforming to a variety of curved shapes, thedevice has to be manually adjusted to each shape separately.

[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,858; 1976, discloses a flexible hand heldabrading tool, which can easily conform to curves and contours. Thoughbeing made of a thin flexible material similar to the present inventionand able to easily conform to curves, it is limited as to being amanually operated hand held tool and not used on power sanders.

[0013] What is needed is a safe, easy to use and affordable means ofadapting todays power belt sanders, both light duty and heavy duty, tobe more versatile and able to abrade a variety of contoured surfaces andstill maintain the already existing capability of abrading a flatsurface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention features a flexible support shelf, orflexible work plate, which relates to being a flex plate,

[0015] The present invention is designed to be an add on attachment forbelt sanders.

[0016] The flex plate attachment will flex to the shape of a workpiecewhich is to be abraded and will support the abrading belt so as tofollow that same shape. This will allow the belt sander to abrade ontoany contoured surface which the flex plate is able to flex to the shapeof.

[0017] The invented flex plate attachment will be safe, easy to use andaffordable for consumers. The invented flex plate will attach onto avariety of both light duty and heavy duty belt sanders which will makethem more versatile for abrading either flat or contour surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The concept and function of the present: invention will be betterunderstood by reading the following detailed description, describedaccordingly with the drawings wherein.

[0019]FIG. 1 shows a front view of the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 2 shows a side view of the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 3 shows a side view of the present invention while in aworking concave position;

[0022]FIG. 4 shows a side view of the present invention while in aworking convex position;

[0023]FIG. 5 shows a side view of the present invention while in aworking flat position;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OP INVENTION

[0024]FIG. 1 front view and FIG. 2 side view, according to the presentinvention; include a flexible, bendable region which forms a work area 1that is flexible. The flexible work area 1 extends between a lowersupport area 2 and a tipper support area 2. The support areas 2conformably connects said flexible work area 1 and attaching frames 3.The attaching frames 3 will attach securely onto & variety of differentcounts by means of either snapping 4 onto or by pinning 5 onto.

[0025] Occasionally, it may require that attaching frames 3 be securelyattached to said variety of mounts 8 by snapping 4 at both ends or bypinning 5 at both ends. Occasionally still, it may require attachingframes 3 be securely attached to said variety of mounts 8 by snapping 4on one end and by pinning 5 on the opposite end. The frames 3 will beconstructed so as to have two attaching snap areas 4 or two attachingpin areas 5 on each end which will extend out beyond support areas 2 andwill leave an open area 6 between said attaching area 4 or 5. The openarea 6 will have sufficient area to incorporate a variety of mounts andleave appropriate clearance in which the present invention willmaneuver. Each of frames 3 will be attached to each side of said varietyof mounts.

[0026]FIG. 3 shows work area 1 is being held into place by support areas2 which conforms to attaching frames 3. Attaching frames 3 is securelyattached to mount 8 by means of pinning 5 on one end and snapping 4 onthe opposite end. Attaching frames 3 extends over the two sides of themount 8. Pin area 5 incorporates a pin which goes freely through oneside of attaching frame 3 and extends by press fit through the mount 8and then goes freely through the other side of attaching frame 3. Snaparea 4 snaps securely onto a pin press fitted into mount 8 in the samefashion as the pinned area 5. Open area 6 has enough area to incorporatemounts 8 and still have room for allowing clearance for maneuverabilityof the flex plate.

[0027] The opposite and of mounts 8 is not shown due to the fact,detailed design will vary as does the various designs of the variety ofbelt sanders. Said opposite ends of mounts 8 is secured in accordance,but not limited to, so as to have freedom to move fay pivoting. Thiswill allow the tension from the belt sanders existing tension unit torelate with the spring force of the work area 1.

[0028] When rotating belt 7 stops rotating, the work area 1 will returnto only slightly concave but remains in belt contact. When the belt isrotated it will drag across work area 1, and pull work area 1 intoforming a more concaved and flexible shape in which the hard to reachconvex area of workpiece 9 is easily abraded.

[0029]FIG. 4 shows details 1 thru 8 will remain the same as illustratedin FIG. 3 with the exception that the force created from the crag of therotating bolt 7 does not comply due to the shape of the work area 1 isnow convexly away from the rotating belt.

[0030] To place work area 1 in either position, is done so by means ofphysically placing work area 1 in the desired position while the belt isnot rotating.

[0031]FIG. 4 shows work area 1 is placed in convex position. Rotatingbelt 7 makes contact with workpiece 10. As the pressure is beingapplied, mounts 8 automatically adjust to workpiece 10 and the beltsander tensioning unit automatically keeps proper tension on rotatingbelt 7. As the workpiece 10 pushes the rotating belt 7 against work area1. The rotating belt 7 is forced to conform to the shape of, and abradeworkpiece 10.

[0032]FIG. 5 shows details 1 thru 8 remains the same as illustrated inFIG. 3. Work area 1 is placed in concave position, the rotating belt 7pulls the work area 1 into a working concave position. After rotatingbelt 7 makes contact with workpiece 11, more pressure is applied whichforces work area 1 to conform to the shape of workpiece 11 and thereforeforces the rotating belt 7 to conform and abrade likewise.

[0033] It may require in some applications, that the pivotal mountsdescribed in detail No.8 may be able to pivot freely or be locked in adesired position. This will require incorporating a position lockingmechanism.

[0034] Due to the fact that there is such a large variety of beltsenders, with so many different operations, the flex plate may berequired to be attached onto mounts other than pivotal. It may require,for example, the flex plate to be attached onto a slide mount, or anupper slice mount and a lower slide mount. It may also be required thatsome mounts incorporate rollers. The present invention is a flex plateattachment, to be used with a variety of belt sanders by means ofattaching onto a variety of mounts. It will require that mounts bedesigned accordingly as to the design of each different belt sander.

[0035] A material used to make a light duty flex plate would be, butwould not be limited to, a polycarbonate. This material has thecharacteristics needed to obtain the required flex and strength yetstill be able to build up a spring load as it bends and forms. This flexplate will be attached to and used on light duty belt sanders. Also,this flex plate will have no sharp edges nor will it wear into sharpedges that nay cause harm to individuals, both young and old, who may beexposed to the flex plate when purchase by the everyday homeowner.

[0036] A material used to make a heavy duty flex plate would be, butwould not be limited to, a spring steel. This material will wear longerand can be used at higher speeds and temperatures than the light dutyflex plate.

[0037] The heavy duty flex plate attachment will be used with industrialduty belt sanders. The individuals exposed to industrial duty beltsanders will be more trained and experienced as opposed to theindividuals exposed to the light duty flex plate attached on a lightduty belt sander.

[0038] The measured lengths and sizes of the present invention willvary, it will depend on the size and design of the belt sander that it'sto be used with. The flex plate will normally be attached in the alreadyexisting work area of the belt sander and therefore will conform to thatsize.

[0039] Wear pads may be an option so as to assist in controlling thewearing out of a flex plate. Also the wear pads can help control theamount of force or drag created by the rotating and abrading belt.

[0040] A material used to make suitable wear pads would be, but wouldnot be limited to, teflon sheets or film adhered directly onto the flexplates.

[0041] Some applications may require that the flex plate be coated witha wear resistant material, such as teflon, instead of using wear pads.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flex plate attachment, to be attached to andused with a belt sander to abrade a contoured surface of a workpiece,said flex plate comprising: A flexible work area, for when appropiatepressure is applied, will then conform to the shape of the workpiece inwhich to abrade and therefore forces the abrading belt of the beltsander to abrade to the shape of, and against, the workpiece as ittravels between the flex plate and the workpiece.
 2. The flex plateattachment of claim 1 wherein said flex plate will be used with lightduty belt sanders.
 3. The flax plate attachment of claim 2 wherein saidflex plate would be made out of a polycarbonate.
 4. The flex plateattachment of claim 2 wherein said flex plate will attach onto mountsdesigned accordingly as to the requirements of each different beltsander.
 5. The flex plate attachment of claim 2 wherein said flex platewill have a lower end and an upper end in which to attach onto mounts bymeans of snapping.
 6. The flex plate attachment of claim 2 wherein saidflex plate will have a lower end and an upper end in which to attachonto mounts by means of pinning.
 7. The flex plate attachment of claim 2wherein said flex plate will have a lower end and an upper end that whenattached onto mounts, will have enough open area for allowing clearancefor the maneuverability of the flex plate.
 8. The flex plate attachmentof claim 2 wherein said material of the flex plate is not limited to apolycarbonate.
 9. The flex plate attachment of claim 1 wherein said flexplate will be used with industrial duty belt sanders.
 10. The flex elateattachment of claim 9 wherein said flex plate would be made of a springsteel.
 11. The flex plate attachment of claim 9 wherein said flex platewill have a lower end and an upper end in which to attach onto mounts bymeans of snapping.
 12. The flex plate attachment of claim 9 wherein saidflex plate will have a lower end and an upper end in which to attachonto mounts by means of pinning.
 13. The flex plate attachment of claim3 wherein said flex plate will attach onto mounts designed accordinglyas to the design of each different belt saucer.
 14. The flex plateattachment of claim 9 wherein said flex plate material is not limited toa spring steel.
 15. The flex plate attachment of claim 9 wherein saidflex plate may be used with wear pads.
 16. The flex plate attachment ofclaim 9 wherein said flex plate may be coated with a wear resistantcoating.
 17. The flex plate attachment of claim 9 wherein said flexplate may attach onto mounts which may incorporate a position lockingmechanism.
 18. The flex plate attachment of claim 1 wherein said flexplate will be an add on attachment for belt sanders.